'A Lack of Offensive Spirit?' is a companion volume to Alan MacDonald's recently revised book 'Pro Patria Mori - the 56th (1st London) Division at Gommecourt, 1st July 1916'. The attack of the 46th (North Midland) Division at Gommecourt on the first day of the Battle of the Somme is one of the most controversial incidents of the Great War. The men were effectively accused of cowardice ("A lack of offensive spirit") and of being drunk and the Division was the only one subject to a Court of Inquiry into its conduct. Their commander, Maj. Gen. Eddie Stuart Wortley, was the only General sacked as a result of the catastrophe of the 1st July 1916, a day when the British Army suffered its worst casualties in a single day in its entire history. `A Lack of Offensive Spirit?' tells the story of Stuart Wortley and the 46th Division from the opening of the war, through the tragedy of the Hohenzollern Redoubt and then, day by day, through the preparations for the attack on Gommecourt. The attack itself is described using the dozens of eyewitness reports collected after the battle as well as official documents and post-war recollections and memoirs. The German perspective on the battle is also extensively covered with information drawn from numerous German unit histories. The conduct of the Court of Inquiry and of Stuart Wortley's desperate efforts to clear his name are covered in detail as well as the tragic fate of the hundreds of officers and men missing, dead and wounded. `A Lack of Offensive Spirit?' is fully indexed, contains over 20 maps and plans, 45 photographs and contains extensive appendices (including a Roll of Honour of both British and German dead).

“This book walks each of us through the reality checks we need in order to have the marriage we want!” —Shaunti Feldhahn, social researcher and best-selling author of For Women Only In today’s workplace, women are often rewarded for having type A personalities: driven, demanding, ambitious, and strong. Yet when it comes to their marriages, those same traits can backfire. After all, no one goes into marriage hoping for a promotion. What is a wife to do? April Cassidy knows this struggle firsthand. She thought she was a great Christian wife and begged God to make her passive husband into a more loving, involved, godly leader. Instead, God opened her eyes to changes that she needed to make, such as laying down her desire for control and offering genuine, unconditional respect—not just love—to her husband. Cassidy’s conclusions may be as startling to readers as they were to her, but The Peaceful Wife shares how she and many others have learned to reorient their lives to biblical commands—resulting in healthier, happier marriages. In the end, you’ll find The Peaceful Wife a powerful path to God’s design for women to live in full submission to Christ as Lord.

The title suggests several things to the reader. The two words, SPIRITUAL AND CONDITIONING, are words that most people don't get too excited about, regardless of age or religious persuasion. Although, I believe that most would acknowledge both are important. What could be more important than a combination of sound physical and spiritual conditioning? Everybody realizes that both require personal initiative. Easier said than done? That's obvious, concerning the overall physical condition of the majority of Americans. Undeniably, our deplorable physically unfit condition, and subsequent problems, is well documented. Likewise, it appears the majority of nominal Christians are spiritually unfit, choosing to remain "babes-in-Christ", often times for years, suffering adverse consequences. Why? The lack of disciplined spiritual conditioning, growth and maturity, and the initiative to resolve. Granted, not easy, as it requires work, effort and discipline. Now enters, "Excuses", quenching any initial desires to get fit! Knowingly, choosing unfit over fit is a debilitating choice over the desire to become healthier, happier and stronger physically and spiritually. This book is not intended to be an indictment of the Christian populace, only a bona fide remedy to rectify this predicament. It follows God's directives. Unabashed honesty with self will necessitate appropriate action. Suffice it to say, God highly advocates spiritual conditioning over the physical (1Timothy 4:7-9). Physical workouts have some benefit, but a disciplined spiritual conditioning program makes you fit for all things, all the time, especially for the present difficult days, and the coming turbulent times. Thank God for his revealing Word, and powerful, comforting Holy Spirit, who strengthens you and I to stand steadfast when others, quit. Take this to heart and let it become your constant motivation to get into and stay in top spiritual shape. Come along with me in this disciplined program and enjoy permanant benefits and rewards. Today is your time to make it happen.

Three hundred and fifty-one men were executed by British Army firing-squads between September 1914 and November 1920. By far the greatest number were shot for desertion in the face of the enemy. Controversial even at the time, these executions of soldiers amid the horrors of the Western Front continue to haunt the history of war. This book provides a critical analysis of military law in the British army and other major armies during the First World War, with particular reference to the use of the death penalty. This study establishes a full cultural and legal framework for military discipline and compares British military law with French and German military law. It includes case studies of British troops on the Frontline.

The first full treatment of the unique phenomenon of High Commands in the Soviet Army during World War II and the Cold War. The war on the Eastern Front during 1941–45 was an immense struggle, running from the Barents Sea to the Caucasus Mountains. The vast distances involved forced the Soviet political-military leadership to resort to new organizational expedients in order to control operations along the extended front. These were the high commands of the directions, which were responsible for two or more fronts (army groups) and, along maritime axes, one or more fleets. In all, five high commands were created along the northwestern, western, southwestern, and North Caucasus strategic directions during 1941–42. However, the highly unfavorable strategic situation during the first year of the war, as well as interference in day-to-day operations by Stalin, severely limited the high commands' effectiveness. As a consequence, the high commands were abolished in mid-1942 and replaced by the more flexible system of supreme command representatives at the front. A High Command of Soviet Forces in the Far East was established in 1945 and oversaw the Red Army's highly effective campaign against Japanese forces in Manchuria. The Far Eastern High Command was briefly resurrected in 1947 as a response to the tense situation along the Korean peninsula and the ongoing civil war in China, but was abolished in 1953, soon after Stalin's death. Growing tensions with China brought about the recreation of the Far Eastern High Command in 1979, followed a few years later by the appearance of new high commands in Europe and South Asia. However, these new high commands did not long survive the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and were abolished a year later. The book relies almost exclusively on Soviet and post-communist archival and other sources and is the first unclassified treatment of this subject in any country, East or West.

The five volumes that constitute Arthur Marder's From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow represented arguably the finest contribution to the literature of naval history since Alfred Mahan. A J P Taylor wrote that 'his naval history has a unique fascination. To unrivalled mastery of sources he adds a gift of simple narrative . . . He is beyond praise, as he is beyond cavil.' The five volumes were subtitled The Royal Navy in the Fisher Era, 1904–1919 and they are still, despite recent major contributions from Robert Massie and Andrew Gordan, regarded by many as the definitive history of naval events leading up to and including the Great War. The fourth volume covers the period from Jellicoe's arrival at the Admiralty to deal with the U-boat menace until his dismissal a year later. Mounting losses brought about the introduction of the convoy system and the turn of the tide in anti-submarine warfare. The volume also looks at the beginnings of naval aviation. A new introduction by Barry Gough, the distinguished Canadian maritime and naval historian, assesses the importance of Marder's work and anchors it firmly amongst the great naval narrative histories of this era. This new paperback edition will bring a truly great work to a new generation of historians and general readers